What Caught My Attention – Week of October 8

Photo by Craig Murphy

What caught my attention during the week of October 4-10 and may be worth your time to read as well?

– The Wall Street  Journal October 4 article “Diageo’s New Cocktail: Marketing, TV, Stir“

The movie, “The Truman Show” was not far off the mark depicting a reality show documenting a boy’s life from birth to adulthood and was subsidized by advertisers placing products throughout and enabling those fans and viewers to purchase everything from the clothes to even a replica of the house. Now in 2010 spirits company, Diageo PLC  is creating a reality series on BET (Black Entertainment Television), called “Master of the Mix,” bought-and-paid-for content produced by Diageo PLC.

From the article:

“The BET series follows seven disc jockeys competing in music-mixing challenges, with one contestant having his or her record “scratched”—eliminated—at the end of each show. The judge is DJ Kid Capri, and the host is hip-hop producer Just Blaze. The side character is a Latina mixologist named Alex, the face of Smirnoff in the series, who rewards each episode’s survivors with Diageo cocktails, interviews the DJs by the bar and shows viewers how to mix drinks, as opposed to beats.”

– The Wall Street Journal October 4 article, “Fastest Growing PR Stunt: Get Into Guinness Records”

Guinness World Records (yes, part of the book) has opened a division to help companies figure out what records to set to highlight their products and brands. Guinness charges $4,739 for a judge to verify the feat and brainstorming records that remain unbroken. What is the downside?

A quote from Dean Crutchfield:

“If too many companies jump into the Guinness pint glass, there will be a danger of it being overused,” said Dean Crutchfield, chief engagement officer of brand agency Method. If that happens, he said, “the programs won’t give companies a lift; they will be washed out by everyone playing the same game.”

– The Wall Street Journal October 8 article, “Haven’t I Heard That Song Before?”

Recording artists Suzanne Vega, Squeeze, and Carly Simon are taking their old songs that were hits (and still a money maker for their old labels) and re-recording those hit songs so the artists can enjoy the new income. If you go to the online article you can listen to Suzanne Vega’s new recorder version of “Tom’s Diner” which (sorry Suzanne) I still think the 1990 DNA remix version still sounds much better than the 2010 version.